This invention relates generally to containers for the handling and transport of bulk materials such as bulk mail. Specifically, the invention relates to stackable containers for the storage and transport of bulk materials made from a blank of foldable sheet material, a pallet and a top.
In the transport and storage of various types of bulk material (e.g. sacks of mail, sacks of durable produce, etc.), a problem has arisen as to the efficient handling, containment, and transport of bags of material. It is customary for workers to simply pile bags of material, such as bulk mail, on top of pallets and then shrink-wrap plastic around the material to keep it from falling off the pallet. This procedure is both costly and time consuming. Further, if the material is not shrink-wrapped properly, one or more bags may fall off the pallet while being lifted by a forklift and thereby possible causing injury to a worker or damage to the material.
Therefore, a need has arisen for the construction of an inexpensive, yet durable container to be a fixed to a pallet for the transport of bulk materials such as bags of mail. Ideally, the container should have stacking ability, thereby enabling the transport of two loaded pallets simultaneously. Further, the container must be easily assembled and easily affixed to a pallet. Containers that are currently available are cumbersome to assemble and do not provide a time-efficient solution to the shrink-wrap method.
Various receptacles for these types of purposes have been used in the past, however none have fulfilled the above-mentioned criteria.